A CRITICAL care nurse turned serial killer who admits he murdered up to 40 patients has spoken publicly about his crimes for the first time in a chilling interview.

Charles Cullen killed his victims by injecting them with lethal drugs or poisoning their IV bags. He murdered patients for 16 years, shifting hospitals when his employers grew too suspicious.

"Forty is an estimate (of how many people I killed). I gave a number between 30 and 40. I think I have identified, you know, most of them," Cullen told CBS' 60 Minutes this week.

That may be a conservative estimate. Crime author Charles Graeber, who investigated the case for seven years, believes the real death toll from Cullen's crimes could be in the hundreds. The US media dubbed him "The Angel of Death".

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Comments on this story

Joe Wilson of Melbourne Posted at 12:02 PM April 30, 2013

Actually happens more commonly than people think. Even in Australia, nurses often kill their patients because simply because they don't like their job. A lot of my friends are from medical backgrounds, they often talk about things like this and how their hospital just covers it up.

Comment 1 of 15

Jan of Sydney Posted at 12:18 PM April 30, 2013

sick sick individual. I hope he has a terrible time in prison as someone's b*tch..
Joe Wilson.. why doesn't your 'friend' blow the whistle then? Hospitals should not be allowed to think it's okay and cover up murders... it's a CRIME..

Comment 2 of 15

Steve of Sydney Posted at 12:22 PM April 30, 2013

This happens all the time & the state government seems to allow it.
They would rather you dead than in a bed as it makes their figures look better with waiting lists.
That's why they kick you out the day of an operation now - you dying as a result is not an issue - its about hospital bed numbers.

Comment 3 of 15

Former Nurse of Melbourne Posted at 12:22 PM April 30, 2013

Is somehow a misguided mercy killing, not necesarilly because they don"t like their job but they feel they are putting terminally ill people out of their misery.

Comment 4 of 15

BJ Posted at 12:32 PM April 30, 2013

Joe Wilson of Melbourne - you and your friends are DELUSIONAL! Often kill their patients? OFTEN? Where exactly are you getting your statistics?! What proof do you have? Nurses in this country dedicate their time and lives to saving other peoples lives and you come out with this dribble because of one (who received psychiatric attention) bad egg? Please...how insulting to Nurses across Australia. Go away.

Comment 5 of 15

Uncle Mattie of Newcastle Posted at 12:34 PM April 30, 2013

Jan of Sydney: how many whistleblowers do you know who have managed at the very LEAST to keep their job? It's been proven too many times that bringing attention to wrongdoing in the workplace is a guaranteed fast track to the unemployment office.

Comment 6 of 15

Rob of Sydney Posted at 12:45 PM April 30, 2013

You are trying to make sense of a psychopaths rationale using your own minds, thats not going to happen, you simply do not think like he does and stop with the conspiracy theories that this happens a lot, nurses are underpaid and deal with plenty of crap at work, they dont need you morons claiming they do this a lot.

Comment 7 of 15

the lone gunmen Posted at 12:48 PM April 30, 2013

Convenient excuse for a murder spree. One of the biggest serial killers in history, a monster.

Comment 8 of 15

Mandy of Melbourne Posted at 12:51 PM April 30, 2013

Joe I agree with some of what you said, also I know for a fact that many private hospitals cut corners because for them it's all about making money. Families generally don't request inquiries when patients die under hospital care. An inquiry was requested at a private hospital my friend worked at recently and a whole team of management was sacked for indirectly causing death, knowingly and then covering it up. But the thing is, it's been happening for years!

Comment 9 of 15

Observer of Sydney Posted at 12:59 PM April 30, 2013

Maybe not reporting it years ago meant losing your job, but with social media you could put the message out there as soon as possible if they threatened to fire you. I would risk it, so many lives could have been saved. The hospitals are to blame, not just this dude.

Comment 10 of 15

Emily Smithe of Adelaide Posted at 1:13 PM April 30, 2013

I am disgusted that the hospitals did not do anything about this when they clearly knew something was not right. I am more horrified that they gave him good references!! Joe you are a disgrace to this Country and how dare you give nurses a bad name just because you want to bend the truth a little bit for a good story. Shame on you, you disgusting creature!

Comment 11 of 15

Chris Posted at 1:36 PM April 30, 2013

St Luke's hospital also have blood on their hands. Oh yes just get rid of our problem and he can be someone else's

Comment 12 of 15

Nel of QLD Posted at 1:46 PM April 30, 2013

Psychopath. Absolutely no empathy or remorse. Talks about it like killing 40 people is a casual thing. Pure evil.

Comment 13 of 15

Nurse of NSW Posted at 2:07 PM April 30, 2013

I know it sometimes goes on in nursing homes when someone is close to death, to speed the process up, but in all my time have never heard it happening in main stream hospitals, Joe Wilson. Nursing home patients will sometimes go unconscious before death and can be that way for 2-3 weeks before finally passing. That 2-3 weeks basically causes them to starve to death, not to mention the dehydration that goes with it, because all treatment is withdrawn. Doctors will sometimes give them a therapeutic dose of morphine 'to keep them comfortable', knowing that a particular dose wouldn't hurt the average person, but will cause the demise of the very frail. I don't have an issue with that because I wouldn't want my loved one to be left in a limbo state like that which would be extremely traumatic to both the patient and their loved ones.

Comment 14 of 15

Villainsoft of Sydney Posted at 2:33 PM April 30, 2013

It's easy to call someone a monster, but thats just a way to categorize something you don't understand.
We have problem with someone acting in such a way, but we allow others to put bullets in the heads of people who we perceive as our idealogical enemies.

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